Believe it or not, you have all the physical skills needed to defend yourself. In fact, you have been practicing them your entire life. “If you look at police videos, street fights, or even ultimate fighting, you won’t see anyone doing technical martial arts,” says personal safety trainer Tony Blauer. He pooh-poohs the notion that you need a black belt to defend yourself. “It’s just some kung fu guy selling you bill of goods.” Sceptical? Consider this:
The stair-climb groin kick
Lift a leg to climb the stairs and you are doing what it takes to knee a foe in the groin.
The seat-belt elbow
When you reach across your chest to grab your seat belt, you are throwing a left elbow. The faster you do this, the more force that elbow has. When you are in the passenger seat, you are training the right side.
The melon eye-gouge
Every time you pick up a melon in a supermarket to check for ripeness, you are making the same motion as sticking your thumbs in some bad guy’s eyes.
The push-up chest strike
Each time you do a push-up, you practice how to deliver a chest strike. “say some guy grabs you by the lapel,” says Blauer. “Jam your fingers in the ‘melon’, and when he grabs his face, do a push-up off his chest. You will knock him back several feet, and you can bolt for safety. Believe me, anyone can do that. You already have the muscle memory.”
